SEKHMET is the most important of the Egyptian lioness Goddesses. She has two distinct aspects to her personality-one dangerous and destructive, and the other protective and healing. Her name means "the female powerful one", and she is a daughter of the sun God Re. Sekhmet was said to breath fire and could also send plagues to the king's enemies. However, in her protective role, she had the power to ward off plagues and pestilence, gaining her the epithet "MISTRESS OF LIFE". Her priests participated in the magical side of medicine, offering prayers over the sick and performing rites to combat epidemics. Sekhmet is usually depicted as a lioness-headed woman, wearing a long wig with a solar disk on top of her head, symbolizing her relation to Re. Other epithets associated with her are "SMITER OF THE NUBIANS" (in her military role) and "MISTRESS OF RED LINEN" (her dress was usually shown as being colored red).